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Last week, the US downed warplanes to Iran amid warnings that the Islamic Republic was planning an imminent drone and missile attack on Saudi Arabia. After the show of force, an attack never came. But the incident served to highlight the complex web of interests that keep the US-Saudi alliance alive even in difficult times. Diplomatic ties between the Biden White House and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman are being tested like never before in a series of high-stakes diplomatic meetings. As Insider reported last month, the Saudis disappointed the US by cutting oil production in agreement with Russia, which was made more pronounced by reports that US officials believed they had assurances that the Saudis would do otherwise. The abandoned oil deal — and a series of more personal displays of contempt for Biden — amount to a power play by Crown Prince Mohammed, analysts say, who believes U.S. power is waning and courting rival powers such as Russia and the china. Biden officials were said to have been surprised by the announcement, believing they had struck a secret deal to boost supplies. President Joe Biden has sought to cut off Moscow’s oil export revenue as punishment for Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. Reducing inflation, meanwhile, is one of the president’s top domestic priorities. Russian President Vladimir Putin shakes hands with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Moscow in May 2017. Pavel Golovkin/AFP/Getty Images The move also sparked a broader backlash in the Democratic Party, with Sen. Chris Murphy of Delaware calling for the US to withdraw some forces from Saudi Arabia and ban arms sales to the kingdom. Biden himself said there would be “consequences” for Saudi Arabia, though he did not specify what those would be. The threat from Iran, too, seems to have collected minds. “There is no doubt that as long as the Islamic Republic maintains power [in Iran]officials in Washington and Riyadh will continue to view the Iranian regime as a serious threat to both US and Saudi interests,” Giorgio Cafiero, CEO of Gulf State Analytics, told Insider. “This factor is one of many that serve to keep the Washington-Riyadh partnership alive, despite all the sources of tension between the Americans and the Saudis.” Anger in the Biden administration appears to have spilled over to the Saudis, who in recent weeks have launched a series of diplomatic initiatives apparently aimed at placating the US. At a UN General Assembly meeting last month, the Saudis voted in favor of a resolution declaring Russia’s annexation of areas of eastern Ukraine illegal, in a snub to Putin that further isolated him at a world forum. Crown Prince Mohammed recently announced a huge increase in humanitarian aid the Saudis will send to Ukraine, adding $400 million to the $10 million pledged in April. The Saudis also played a key role in brokering a high-profile prisoner swap between Russia and Ukraine, in which a number of British and American citizens captured fighting for the Ukrainian army were released. Cafiero said the moves were a signal from the Saudis that they were willing to help Western interests in Ukraine. But he warned that Riyadh’s geopolitical maneuvering and refusal to impose sanctions on Russia over Ukraine fostered deep mistrust in Washington. “It does not appear that the Kingdom’s diplomatic initiatives vis-à-vis the conflict in Ukraine have much potential to compensate for such damage done to Saudi Arabia’s reputation in the US capital,” he said. Despite the chill in diplomatic relations, the US continues to rely on Saudi Arabia as a bulwark against Iran and a key strategic partner in a volatile region. Crown Prince Mohammed, Cafiero said, knows this and will likely continue to exploit the situation, pushing for greater Saudi autonomy on the world stage and competing with the US. “These are mutual interests that keep the US and Saudi Arabia interested in bilateral cooperation. Riyadh knows this and can continue to demonstrate its desire for an increasingly independent foreign policy without worrying about the sudden withdrawal of the US from the Kingdom,” he said.